Carpet & wall colour combinations: Which carpet goes with grey walls?

Grey is having a bit of a moment in the world of interior design. As our technology has moved away from the light grey hardware of the 1990s, a new palette of grey shades has entered our floors, walls and furnishings – appearing in modern monochrome looks, Scandi-style minimalism, and as the canvas for a bright pop of block colour.

From fresh and barely-there light grey walls to moody deeper shades, grey provides plenty of wall colour options to suit every room and every style. But once you’ve decided on your walls, how do you pick the perfect carpet to match?

Match a deeper-toned carpet to lighter walls to build a co-ordinated look in living rooms and bedrooms that runs through a spectrum of shades, from pale to dark – match different shades with hints of dove grey, or mushroom.

A thick, deep-tread carpet will reinforce the sense of depth even within a monochrome colour scheme – sink into a luxuriously soft deep-pile carpet.

A dark brown carpet is also great for creating warmth and a sense of cosiness in smaller rooms with light grey walls (which will keep the room from feeling oppressively dark).

If you’ve gone for a dark grey on two or more walls, you might find a dark carpet results in the room absorbing a little too much light.

Try a light, barely-there grey carpet to lift a room with darker walls, even if the darker colour is only on one feature wall, a pale grey carpet can be an ideal contrast (we recommend matching the colour of the remaining walls).

Keep furnishings light too, and actively think about the materials you use. Light linen or cotton and blond woods will help a bedroom feel like a breath of fresh air, lifting the colour of the carpet above floor level, while reflective materials like silver, chrome or rose gold will throw light (natural and artificial) around a space.

Beige and dark grey are a match made in heaven, creating a striking contrast whilst being a muted base to form the background for a variety of colours in your furnishings.

Deep grey shades look stunning on wood-panelled walls – a perfect juncture between heritage and modern – but require a lighter carpet to balance them out. A subtle beige, adds warmth both visually and in terms of temperature to prevent the grey from feeling cold. Or go for an indulgent cream to increase the feeling of luxury!

Natural fibre sisal carpets bring texture to a room while keeping the warmth of traditional carpet. The gorgeous beige of the raw fibres mean that sisal carpets usually come in neutral colours that pay homage to their natural tone, resulting in an earthy yet modern feel.

Sisals come in a range of weaves for different finishing effects and look stunning against pale grey walls.

Test out different carpets against dark and light grey walls using our visualiser.

Grey walls don’t just go with muted flooring – if you want something that really brightens a room, try a cheerful block colour or a vibrant pattern.

Mustard yellow is a perfect match with grey, and you’ll find plenty of accessories in this fashionable colour to match your carpet.

Other dark colours will also work well against a lighter grey wall. If your chosen shade contains hints of blue, try matching with a royal blue or navy carpet, while richly coloured grape and red wine-inspired carpets are both elegant and warming.

Look for patterns that include your wall colour and stick to simple, minimalist shapes – these will complement the simplicity of a grey wall while introducing contrast.